we're family
by YaoiH0e
Summary: katara gets a fireball to the chest which knocks her off appa, into the ocean. what will happen this time?


DISTANCE

The gang head to Ba Sing Se on Appa, they've been flying for two long days dealing with teens arguing back and forth.

"No, we're not landing sokka!" katara rolled her eyes in frustration, crossing her arms.

"but i have to pee kataraaaa!" he pouted childishly, giving her puppy eyes.

"well you should've went before we left!" she turned her back on him, facing the sunset,

katara noticed something flying high in the distance but wasn't clear enough to make out the weird figure.

"pleaaassee ka-" he begged until katara cut him off.

"fine sokka!" katara threw her hands up in the air in annoyance.

"yyyyeeeessss!" take us down aang before an accident happens!" sokka yelled eagerly.

"make it quick sokka." zuko rolled his eyes, irratation written all over his face.

Aang steered appa to the ground silently, katara knew something was bothering him. She approached him once they hopped off Appa, she put her hand to his left cheek caressing it, she could see his sad expression.

"aang, what's wrong?" katara asked with a soft voice.

he couldn't hold back, but he didn't want to talk about it so he stood there in silence, staring at her deep blue eyes.

"it's nothing important..." he couldn't face her anymore, Aang hated lying to her.

"Aang... you're important to me, your problems are my problems, remember we're in this together... what's bothering you?" katara slid her finger under his chin, lifting it gently so they could be face to face.

"fine... its just... being the avatar isn't easy... i'm scared that i'll fail everyone... that i'll fail you..." tears streamed down his cheeks.

Katara pulled him in her arms for a long hug.

"that's why you have us aang, no matter what happens... you'll never disappoint us, it's okay to fall some times, getting back up is what makes us stronger... " Katara breaks their hug, wiping away his tears.

"i guess you're right, thanks katara." he smiled at her, wrapping his arms around her waist, kissing her temple then her lips passionately.

"We're all don- Eeehh! stop it, stop it! why do i always walk in on the Oogies!" Sokka exclaimed waving his hands infront of his face.

Katara broke their kiss looking at sokka with nuisance, Aang blushed lightly.

"oh shut up sokka! you never see me bickering when i see you and suki making out!" Katara yelled, raising her left eyebrow.

"but- that- uurghh you know what, never mind..." Sokka stuck his hand out with a lazy angry face while he walked away.

"haha wow, you actually shut sok-" Aang was cut off by zuko.

"FIREBENDERS! THEY'RE HEADING STRAIGHT FOR US!" zuko pointed to the sky.

Everyone hopped on appa, flying up qucikly, barely avoiding a blast of fire from above them. Flying ahead as fast as Appa could but not fast enough.

"THEY'RE GAINING ON US!" zuko yelled again, blocking the fireballs from hitting them.

"APPA'S GOING AS FAST AS HE CAN!" Aang exclaimed.

Katara ran to the right side of the saddle, bending the oceans water from below, forming a bubble around them for protection, but it wasn't gonna hold much longer since the fireballs hit with incredible force.

"MAKE HIM GO FASTER!" sokka yelled with frustration.

Aang got up waving his glider sending a strong gust of air to slow them down.

"zuko! aang hold them off! i'll be right back!" Katara said before jumping off appa.

"KATARA?!" Sokka panicked, rushing to the edge only to witness katara riding on a huge wave.

"i'm fine! don't worry!" katara yelled back.

Katara sent waves flying in the air straight for the flying ships, pulling them down to the ocean. However she couldn't knock down one ship, she grew tired.

"UGHH!" katara growled, she hopped back on appa.

"aang! they won't go down! eventually zuko's gonna get tired!" katara blurted out,

"SOKKA! GRAB THE REIGNS AND STEER APPA!" Aang got up letting sokka pass by him to take the reigns, he hopped in the saddle, slamming both his hands together, sending a blast of air to track them off their trail which he succeded, but they got back up to their trail, blasting powerful fireballs at them.

Katara put up another bubble shield, she was getting weak, that's when the water collapsed at the wrong time, a quick unnoticed fireball was heading straight for her, zuko seen at it the last moment...

"KATARA!" zuko screamed.

Katara turned around to witness a flame that was way too close that she could feel the heat, she wasn't fast enough to put the fire out, her body froze... the world slowed... her chest felt extremely heavy, her face went pale as she watched the fireball come at her in the dark night sky.

"Aaarghh!" She screeched with pain, as the fire hit her in the chest burning the skin,

throwing her off the edge of the saddle, falling towards the ocean unconscious.

Everybody watched in terror.

Aang heard her scream, it made him shake he knew who it was, his heart dropped to his stomach as he watched her stumble off the saddle

"KATARA!" Sokka cried loudly.

Aang quickly jumped off with his glider hoping he could find her in the dark.

Katara hit the water head first, she was still unconscious but the piercing sensation in her chest woke her up, she swam up fast struggling to breathe, her eyes got blurry every second... until she felt her hand hit the surface, she tried floating herself as she coughed up all the water up.

"Aan-" before she could call out, a humongous wave crashed on top of her, she swam up again gasping for enough air until another wave crashed on top of her, tossing her around brutally, waves came one after another. She passed out from exhaustion, slowly drowning.

"the ships retreating!" zuko yelled out.

Aang flew back onto to the saddle freaking out.

"i can't find her!" aang exclaimed as he whimpered.

Sokka stood there with a pale face, his breathing got heavier by the moment, he cried... katara's name whispered endlessy in his head.

"we don't know for sure if she's de-" toph was cut off.

"no... no! she's alive!" sokka screamed, he was scared and worried.

"it's too dark out here sokka we won't be able to find her..." suki tried to be gentle as she whimpered.

"i don't care! turn back to the shore! i'll look for her myself!" sokka roared with so much hurt and anger, he couldn't lose katara... not his sister.

Aang got everyone to the shore, aang would rather keep looking for her even if he was exhausted, he couldn't lose her... katara's his everything... his only love... he wouldn't forgive himself if he lost her. They looked for her all night, she was no where to be found.

Katara woke up on shore, she could hear crashing waves and breezy wind, slowly opening her eyes but groaned as the morning light stung her eyes, her eye vision was very blurry and unfocused, her head throbbed brutally, she lifted her head looking at her surroundings waiting for her eyes to focus. She got up trying to catch her balance as she winced to the piercing sensation in her chest, she stumbled across the sand puking up all the salt water she swallowed.

"uuggh... where am i?" slowly getting off her knees to stand, "sokka!... aaang!... zuko! toph! suki!" dizziness was fading away, she rubbed her temple from the throbbing. Katara walked for an hour, repeatedly calling out their names until a teen around her age ran out from the trees running from someone, almost crashing into her as he called for help.

"are you ok? who are you running from?" she picked up the boy from the sand, he quickly hid behind her.

"them!" he shook with fear as he pointed out to three other boys that were chasing him, who were much bigger than him _"great! bullies but... if they're here... there must be a village!" she thought to herself._

"if you will be so kind, hand over the boy!" the biggest kid shouted. The three boys all looked 16 or a bit older.

"and if i dont?" katara stood infront of the frightened boy who looked like aangs age, she crossed her arms, giving them a dangerous look.

"than if you don't, i'll get him myself and im very sure you don't want that to happen!" the boy walked closer then stopped, balling his hands up.

 _"did he really just try to warn me? oh boy this is gonna be fun."_ katara thought to herself. she snickered to his commen, she squinched her eyes, her lips slowly raised tp the left.

"come and take him then!" katara yelled back.

"what! no! please they'll beat me!" he gripped her arm tight.

"not if i beat them up first." she smiled at the frightened kid. "don't worry i deal with

bullies all the time and i always win."

The three boy walked towards her, glaring at her as if she's the one that made a mistake.

As they got closer, she bended a large amount of water from the air, blasting it at the boys, knocking the down to their feet looking up at her with shock in their eyes, before they could get up katara water whips them, making them fly backwards.

"well aren't you gonna come and get him?" she put her hands to her hips, grinning at the boys, they stood there silently scared "that's what i thought." she dropped her hands from her waist, grabbing the boys hand and walked right past them.

"that was amazing!" the boy cheered.

"Thanks... Not to brag but i can do much more cooler things." she smiled at him again.

"really?!" he asked with excitement.

"yeah... i've challenged a master water bender and won which made me a master." she bragged.

"that's awesome!" the boy cheered on again. "hey, if you don't mind me asking what happened to you? you look beat... no offense..."

"Firebenders." she said flatly.

"why were they attacking you?" he scratched his neck.

"lets just say, they almost killed me for no reason." she looked down at the ground as they walked. "anyways... is there a village here? i think my friends will be there waiting for me."

"yeah, we're almost there." she nodded okay then it got awkward as it got silent "what's you're name?"

"katara." she smiled at him.

"katara..." he repeated "i like that name... im lee." he stuck his hand out with a smile.

"nice to meet you." katara shook his hand and returned a smile.

"same here." lee blushed.

They looked for her again and still coudn't find her which made them worry even more.

"sokka if she made it out a-alive... she must be somewhere far looking for us." zuko said.

"he's right sokka, im gonna go look above the trees..." aang walked over to sokka. "you need to rest, if i find anything related to katara i'll let you know..."

"i don't want to rest aang!" sokka snapped. Aang was surprised and just stood there broken... sokka wasn't the only one worried.

"sorry aang... im just really worried about her..." sokka hung his head as he whimpered.

"so are we, you guys need to get some rest i'll be back soon." aang patted his back then airbended himself in the air, opening the glider as he soared above the trees.

An hour later...

Aang returns back to the camp site

"i found a village, its a little far but she might be there." aang said as he closed his glider.

"lead the way!" sokka said with eagerness, everyone hopped on appa.

"this would be much more easier if TOPH can just feel her heart beat." zuko was worn out from staying up all night.

"she could be far off range for me to feel her vibarations! so shut it hot head." toph growled.

"GUYS! this is not the time or place to talk." aang said as he glared his eyes towards sokka.

Sokka sat there with his back to their faces... he sat there in silence just thinking about katara until aang spoke.

"we're here sokka..." aang said gentle as possible.

Sokka didn't say anything , he quickly hopped off appa.

"how long are we staying here twinle toes?" toph asked while she picked her nose.

"depends." aang airbended off appa. Toph's eyes go wide then kneels with her hand on the floor.

"what is it toph?" aang asked uneasy.

"i-i feel something..." toph tried to sense it but struggled.

"spit it out toph!" sokka yelled frustrated.

"look i know you care about katara ! but don't snap at me snoozles!" toph barked back.

"just tell me if she's alive or not." sokka glared at the floor.

Toph could feel that he was distressed and upset, she couldn't blame him for acting like a jerk so she kneeled back down focusing on that one unclear vibaration... finally she got it, she smiled and got up.

"it's her." toph said with the widest smile across her face.

sokka and aang let out the longest reliefed sigh.

"we still need to find her so lets get going." sokka walked into the village, they all followed.

Katara and lee are at his house.

"do you need anything katara?" lee asked her.

"can you fill my water pouch with water please?" katara asked shyly and politely

"of course." he said, he refilled it and returned it back to her.

"thanks." she smiled.

"do you want me to take you to get that healed?" he asked as he looked at her wound on her chest.

"that's kinda why i asked you for the water." katara opened her pouch, bending it to cover her hands like gloves, pressing it on her wound she winces as it glows.

"that feels way better... thanks for the water lee." katara said.

"you're full of surprises." lee laughed "and don't mention it... are you hungry?"

"now that you brought it up... yeah." she smirked at him.

"come on, i know where to go." lee held his hand out so she can get up.

They walked out his house.

"so how come you were on the beach this morning?" lee didn't want to be nosy but he couldn't help it.

"well... me and my friends were flying over the ocea-"

"flying?" lee raised his eyebrow, he was confused.

"yeah i'll explain that later if we find my friends... anyway, we were flying and firebenders attacked us, we tried to hold them off but there was so many of them... my water shield broke at the wrong time... a fireball hit me in my chest, knocking me off appa... i fell into the water unconscious i woke up eventually but the heavy waves kept hitting me i guess i passed out from exhaustion and that's when i ran into you..." katara looked down upset, she knew that her brother and the others thought she was dead.

"that's pretty intense... how do you know if you're friends will come looking for you?" he asked gently, he didn't want her to be upset.

"we're like family, we'll do anything for each other." she wanted to cry but she didn't want to show weakness.

Lee knew that she was upset so he quickly changed the subject as they approached his dad.

"we're here, my dad sells fruit." he pointed to his dads stable

"i'll pay you back when i find my friends." katara rubbed her arm in awkwardness.

"no, no don't worry about it." lee smiled at her as he stared into her deep blue eyes.

"hey dad, can i get two mangos and a coconut?" he asked his dad.

"here. make sure you're home for dinner." his father said.

lee nodded as he handed her the mango and coconut, lee walked over to the bench they both sat down and ate their fruit.

"so katara... are you married?" he asked before taking a big bite out his mango.

katara almost choked on her fruit "why do you ask?"

"you're necklace..." he realized how his question sounded "oh... its nothing like that im too young to even worry about marriage." he giggled.

"how old are you anyways?" katara asked so he could forget about the necklace

"im 15 and you?" lee asked.

"17..." she thought _"he's the same age as aang... ugh aang... i miss him..."_

"oh well you are at marrying age..." he glanced at her necklace.

"yeah i am... but im not married... it's my moms." katara touched her necklace, tears were ready to shoot down but she choked them down, lee noticed so he quickly changed the subject.

The gang stick together looking carefully for katara, making sure they don't pass by her.

"toph can you feel anything?" aang asked.

"yeah, she's actually closer than i thought." toph raised her head, "follow me."

"thanks toph... i owe you!" sokka walked next to her, giving her a warm hug. "sorry i yelled at you."

"it's okay, you don't owe me anything..." toph blushed ligthly from the hug "but don't ever hug me again." toph punched him on his arm.

"oouch." sokka rubbed his arm.

"i don't get it lee why so you let them bully you like that?" katara asked.

"i don't know." he looked away.

"i should of froze them to a high tree!" katara raised her voice.

"that would be nice," lee giggled in between "but that would make it worse for me."

"because im a girl?" she put her hands on her waist.

"yeah, because you're a girl." lee rolled his eyes with a grin "wanna go for a walk?"

"sure, why not?" she got up to follow lee, as they were walking and about to turn a corner katara and lee bumped into someone.

"oh im sorry i di-" katara was cut off.

"you! you're the waterbender!" the boy said.

katara and lee backed up.

"yeah, thats me! what do you want." she snarled.

"a little revenge." he grabbed katara by her arm.

"let go of me!" she slapped him across the face, she got out of his handle.

"come on lee! run!" she grabbed him by his arm dragging him, katara looked behind them as they were running "they're faster than i thought." she opens her pouch bending the water on the floor then turned it in to ice.

"i think its time to freeze them in a high tree katara!" lee yelled.

"did you hear that ?" aang asked.

"hear what?" they all asked confused.

"i thought i heard someone say kataras name..." aang looked around but didn't see anyone.

"that's because she's close to us... i think shes running from someone..." toph butted in.

"look! its katara!" suki yelled, they all ran after her.

"KATARAA!" Sokka screamed to get her attention

"KATARA!" Aang yelled along, soon the rest did the same.

"katara wait..." lees panting for air "i think i heard someone yelling you're name."

Katara looks to her side "aang! sokka!" she yells for them with excitement, she looks back at lee "come on my friends are here."

"what about the other guys?" he asked her while running along.

"don't worry my friends will take care of them." she smiled

"suki! toph! sokka!" she finally gets them to turn their head.

"Katara!" they all ran to catch up to her.

katara and lee are still far from aang but are blocked by the three boys.

"just leave us alone !" katara backed up with lee behind her.

"now that would be a mistake!" the guy yelled, he grabs katara by her throat, slamming her on the wall, katara slaps him but the other boy holds her down while the other boy pins down lee.

Aang and the rest see whats going they start running faster towards them.

katara is still held up against the wall the guys whispers in her ear "i wonder what you taste like..." kataras eyes go wide and she starts struggling but he's strong, he starts to lick her neck "GET OFF ME !"

Aang and the gang finally reach them, sokka throws his boomerang at the guys that were all over katara, knocking him and his friend down "don't you ever touch me again!" katara kicked them straight in the nuts. Suki helped lee and eventually knocked the guy out cold.

Sokka turns to katara giving her a tight hug with tears strolling down his cheek "i thought i lost you katara..."

"but you didn't... " she wiped his tears away, breaking the hug.

zuko, suki and toph hugged katara at the same time.

"glad you're alive sugar queen." toph said, katara giggled.

katara saw aang patiently waiting for his hug

Aang wrapped his arms around katara tightly, his chin rested on her head, then whispers in her ear.

"you really scared me katara..." tears dropped from his eyes, "i don't know what i would do if i lost you..."

"im back now, that's all that matters." she pulled him in for another passionate kiss. Aang broke their hug when he noticed they were all staring but still had his left arm around her waist.

"oh yeah guys! this is lee." lee waved as she introduced everyone to him.

katara and the gang were leaving that day to ba sing se.

"hey lee thanks for everything." she hugged him "i wish i could stay longer but we're off to ba sing se."

"no problem." he smiled at her.

"i'll stop by when we leave." katara said.

"okay see you till then." they waved goodbye as appa flew away.

katara curled up in aangs arms, she slowly fell asleep.

THE END!

NOTE: IT WASN'T MUCH BUT ITS ALRIGHT I HOPE YOU GUYS LIKED IT!


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